Titan FC Prosepcts Pt .2: Ricky Simon

Titan FC Prosepcts Pt .2: Ricky Simon

Every organization from the local promotions all the way up to the UFC has prospects that will shine through. In this mini-series, I had the opportunity to talk to four up-and-comers for Titan FC that will be in action on September 19. The show is headlined by former UFC standout Pat Healy where he will try and defend his belt.

Ricky Simon is a Washington state based fighter who is currently undefeated at 6-0 in his pro MMA career. He is the top ranked pro MMA Bantamweight in the Pacific Northwest according to Tapology. He will fight Alex Soto (no relation to UFC Bantamweight Joe Soto) at Titan FC 35. He had some interesting things to talk about before his fight.

VC: Who in the Big 3 has your spot?

RS:For most fighters it’s the UFC and that’s what I have my eyes set on

VC: What guy do you think you could beat?

RS: No one in particular, I could definitely compete in the UFC

VC: Craziest thing that’s happened inside the cage?

RS: Things have gone good so far. My last fight was a tough one, but I can’t say that anything crazy has happened inside the cage so far. My first four fights were knockouts and my last two were decisions, but nothing too unexpected just because I feel what I do in the practice room.

VC: Not sure if that’s good or bad, I’m going to guess it’s good because you haven’t lost a fight yet?

RS: I mean theres like little things you have to adjust but there is always differences between fights and practices.

VC: Favorite Sport Outside of MMA?

RS: MMA has pretty much engulfed my life. I’ll definitely watch some football but I don’t miss a UFC or Bellator event and I try to go to local shows as often as I can.

VC: 2v2 MMA is now legal in South Carolina, who is your partner against Alex Soto (your next opponent) and Joe Soto?

RS: One of my teammates Ian Loveland. He’s been in the UFC and he’s a scary dude and I want him on my team.

VC: You’re just 23, what does the future hold for you?

RS: Just keep training hard and staying in the sport with some longevity. I want to be in the UFC and have a nice career.

VC: You’ve fought for promotions like Tachi Fight Palace and King of the Cage, which are pretty big promotions. Is this going to be another day at the office or will this be bigger?

RS: This is definitely something bigger. It will be live on UFC Fight Pass with more viewers and I feel like it’s bigger to me. I’m really excited and I want to go out there and perform well.

VC: If you could fight at a different weight class, what would it be? Particular opponent you want to face?

RS: Welterweight just because there are some beasts in the UFC. It’s more talent rich, especially in the UFC and even in Bellator and WSOF. It would a ton of fun with some exciting matchups.

VC: Anybody in particular you want to get in there with, maybe Robbie?

RS: Well it’s easy to say yes now because I don’t actually have to do it. I don’t even know who I would because I’m not actually in the weight class?

Mike Ekundayo: “It didn’t cross my mind that I’m fighting for a belt until I raise my hand and I feel something going around my waist”

As the worlds’ largest mixed martial arts organization nears its London, Fight Night event, a champion, of a smaller promotion sits in waiting. The UFC touches down in England exactly one month removed from the Brad Pickett led, Rise of Champions fifth event. It was the biggest event thus far into its young existence. Rise of Champions 5, was a significant moment in its history, as the promotions first amateur and professional champions were crowned.

On the preliminary card, an exciting contest between Luke Trainer and Matthew Byfield decided the amateur Light Heavyweight champion. After three rounds and nine minutes of action, Luke Trainer earned the title of ROC amateur Light Heavyweight champion.

But that is not what the night was about. While many of the match-ups sought to steal the shine from the night’s life-blood, none could. The main event of the evening drew interested eyes from corners unknown. A battle for the promotions first ever professional champion pitted two European Bantamweight prospects against each other, Jonas Magard and Mike Ekundayo.

It took two rounds to decide an inaugural Bantamweight champion. Round one was close. It largely saw grappling exchanges between the two. Ekundayo pressured his against the fence, and pressed his opponent up against it. After working in the position, the Brixton resident took Magard to the mat. In that process, the Danish fighter, Magard, dug a guillotine. As Ekundayo worked out of the guillotine, Magard rose to his feet, with his back still pressed against the cage. They spent a couple minutes trading position along the fence before the referee stood the them up.Once separated, Ekundayo caught a leg kick and they continued to grapple along the fence, as well as the ground, in a similar fashion for the remainder of the round.

Before the fight, neither athlete had much respect for their opponents striking ability. Post-humorously, Ekundayo stated, “He said that he doesn’t respect my stand up, I understand that but then again his stand isn’t amazing”. Truly Ekundayo felt similarly to the rest of his opponents’ skills, “The main thing really was his Japanese neck tie… his Japanese neck tie and his guillotines…Yeah, those were his two biggest threats but I just didn’t see it happening to me personally”.

Although he managed to escape Magards guillotine, twice, in between rounds was an unfamiliar experience. His corner sat him down on the stool and spoke words he’d only heard once before. “They did give me advice, in between rounds. They did also point (out) that I lost that round. So, I was still calm and then I was just listening to them, listening to their instructions… I haven’t lost a fight and I don’t like losing rounds but I just kept a cool head and I thought ‘Okay, I lost this round. Let me just listen to my coaches and an opening will come’”.

He was right, an opening did come. Ekundayo opened the second round by closing the distance with an overhand right and another takedown. This time, he found more space and worked to his opponents back. Once he got to Magards back, you could sense the finish coming. Ekundayo sunk his arm in and got the rear-naked choke submission two minutes and two seconds into the second round.

A post shared by The ROC Events (@therocevents) on Feb 18, 2018 at 7:43am PST

It took some time for the win to sink in. Not the win, the concomitants of the win. He said, “Of course, I’ve won fights before, but I haven’t won a belt before. So honestly, it just sort of felt like a little bit routine when they were going over it. So, the ring announcers now calling out the winner, and the referee is lifting up my hand. As the referee is lifting up my hand, I feel something going around my waist and I was sort of blank like, in that moment I just remember, ‘oh my days, this is a title fight, I just won a belt’. Like it didn’t cross my mind throughout all of that when they were calling out my name, like all of that, when I sunk in the choke and he tapped. It didn’t cross my mind that I’m fighting for a belt until I raise my hand and I feel something going around my waist. And there’s actually a sweet photo that (Rise of Champions photographer) took and that was at the moment of me realizing”. With a quick chuckle he said, “I was gassed, like I said we say”.

A post shared by The ROC Events (@therocevents) on Feb 18, 2018 at 2:39am PST

The last time I spoke with Ekundayo, he spoke of what it would mean to be the Rise of Champions inaugural Bantamweight champion. When we first spoke, he told me of the hardship surrounding his home of Brixton and its surrounding boroughs. He also told me his plans for the championship belt. He spoke about taking it back to his home, back to his friends, his family, and his people. To thank, inspire and share with them.

Upon asking him about the experience, I could feel the eagerness through the tonal vibrations of a small rectangular device. “That day was not planned at all. There was no structure but it was nice and it just made the story even more amazing and fulfilling to me. The plan was just to go to the landmarks of Brixton, with my photographer. So we just planned to go to the landmarks, the known landmarks of Brixton, take a few photos and just put it up and say I did what I wanted to do in the article”. After a quick breathe to reinvigorate his lungs with much needed oxygen, he continued, “It just so happened that we just bumped into a lot of the people I know, and then they were congratulating me saying oh you did it, and just in high praises of me and it was nice because we involved them into the photos. So it was a nice conclusion to the whole story that started from what I said (previously)”.

Even now, it seems like it all just happened for Ekundayo. “I feel like I’ve just only won the belt and everything’s sinking in”, he claimed. Rationally, he was a bit apprehensive when asked of his immediate future, “I’m really hyper-focused on improving my skills in all facets of the game. I’m really focused on improving my skills more than anything else but I have been asked this by people in the gym and (Mixed Martial Arts) journalists, ‘Oh, what’s next for you? What are looking to get on next?’ The big shows”. A subtle pause before he cleverly continued, “if they can even get bigger then Rise of Champions because you know Rise of Champions is my show… The big shows, like I said with the belt, it’s my time. I feel like me getting on the big shows now and getting much bigger money fights, it’s my time. It’s my time. It’s just, it’s inevitable now. The same way, that whole me fighting Jonas, I felt like it’s my time. I feel like me getting on the big shows, it’s my time now”.

“We’ll see what comes, in terms of that”, he said when asked what promotion he preferred to compete for next. “It’s like my main focus is myself and my skills, the rest I feel like, it comes with the territory. If you just focus on being great within yourself, everything else will just happen. So me being on the bigger shows, like in the UFC, me having the UFC belt, me being known as the p4p #1 fighter in the world, they just transpire off me focusing on myself and me just focusing on being better. So I do have fighting on these shows in mind. Of course I want to fight on huge shows in front of a big crowd, in front of a big stadium. Of course I want to do all of that, but my focus (and) my mind is just on me and my skills and how I’m going to improve and be perfect and be the perfect mixed martial artist”. He continued, “Being on the UFC, being on Bellator, being able to say I’m on all of these shows would be flipping amazing. It would be huge, I would be, what we call over here, is gassed. It’s like we get really excited. So yeah, I would be super excited to be on those shows but my primary focus is on sharpening my skills”.

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Video: Ashley Yoder UFC 222 Interview and Staredown

Our own, Rodney ‘The Rockstar’ Edgar got the opportunity to speak with Ashley Yoder at UFC 222 media day. Ahead of her FS1 prelim headlining fight, she spoke to MMA Latest about what drives her to fight, and more.

Ashley Yoder takes on Mackenzie Dern, the extremely popular BJJ star whom makes her promotional debut Saturday. Yoder has experience inside the octagon. She fought twice for the promotion, going 0-2. Her loses came at the hands of Justine Kish at UFC Fight Night 102: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov, and Angela Hill most recently at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale.

Tomorrow night, Yoder looks to end her two fight skid with an impressive victory over the highly touted Dern. This performance could weigh heavily on her future with the promotion. From an extremely far vantage point, a fight as such, looks like Zookeepers feeding their Lion. But Ashley Yoder is a game opponent, owning four submission victories in her five total wins.

UFC 222 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday March 3rd. The card features Cris Cyborg defending her Featherweight title against Yana Kunitskaya in the main event. Brian Ortega takes on Frankie Edgar in the nights co-main event. Other match-ups featured include: Ashley Yoder taking on Mackenzie Dern in her UFC debut, John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz go at it, Cat Zingano takes on Ketlen Vieira, Beneil Dariush goes up against Alexander Hernandez, and Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath.

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Video: Mike Pyle UFC 222 Interview and Staredown

Our own, Rodney ‘The Rockstar’ Edgar spoke with MMA veteran, Mike Pyle at UFC 222 media day. Pyle announced recently that this upcoming fight would be his last. Thankfully, MMA Latest got the chance to speak with him before the final fight of his career.

Mike Pyle has had a long and exciting MMA career. His first professional bout, happened to be a catch-weight against Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Pyle fought Rampage at a catch-weight of 205, Pyle weighed in at 175 pounds. The veteran of over 40 professional fights lost his pro debut but gained an impressive victory in his second pro bout over Jon Fitch. Over the span of his career, Pyle fought in many promotions, against many different opponents.

UFC 222 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday March 3rd. The card features Cris Cyborg defending her Featherweight title against Yana Kunitskaya in the main event. Brian Ortega takes on Frankie Edgar in the nights co-main event. Other match-ups featured include: Ashley Yoder taking on Mackenzie Dern in her UFC debut, John Dodson and Pedro Munhoz go at it, Cat Zingano takes on Ketlen Vieira, Beneil Dariush goes up against Alexander Hernandez, and Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath.